Mohammed Siraj Breaks Silence On T20 World Cup Snub, Gives His Verdict On Suryakumar Yadav-Led Side
Mohammed Siraj was one of the big names ignored when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026.
- Mohammed Siraj was one of the big names ignored when BCCI announced a 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup
- "For a player, playing in a World Cup is a dream; playing for your country is even better," he said
- "The team is quite good on paper and in form. My best wishes to them. Keep the trophy here," Siraj added
Mohammed Siraj was one of the big names ignored when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026. The tournament is being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. It starts on February 7, with the final set to be played on March 8. Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana are the fast bowlers India have selected for the T20 mega event. Siraj, who has picked 14 wickets in 16 T20Is for India, was quite honest while talking about his exclusion. He said he would have loved to compete in the big tournament.
"I played in the last T20 World Cup, but not this time. For a player, playing in a World Cup is a dream; playing for your country is even better. The team is quite good on paper and in form. My best wishes to them. Keep the trophy here," Siraj told reporters on the eve of the third and final ODI against New Zealand.
India's 2026 T20 World Cup squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.
'To maintain rhythm and focus, you need refuelling': Siraj
Siraj also highlighted the importance of workload management. He was rested during India's previous ODI series against South Africa before getting a call-up for the matches against New Zealand.
"I was rested from the last ODI series against South Africa because I had bowled 40 overs in the second Test against them in Guwahati. I haven't been in and out. I played in Australia in the ODI series, then was rested against South Africa. For a fast bowler, adequate rest is very important. Been playing Test matches consistently, and you end up working out a lot. You need to refuel to maintain the rhythm and focus," said Siraj.
India take on New Zealand in the deciding ODI in Indore on Sunday. The hosts started with a four-wicket win, before New Zealand bounced back with a seven-wicket victory.
India Cricket Team